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Chapter 65

There are three villains tied up at the campsite.

The grandpa has ascended due to Liz’s magic, so rest in peace… or something like that.
I think it’s a bit much to go as far as killing him, but well, there might not be any other choice.

As a great person from the past once said, Yes Lolita… No Touch.

I’m not going to say anything about lolicon hobbies as it is a matter of sexual preference.
I mean, do you like beautiful women more or cute women more?

It’s just an extension of that problem.
I think it’s just a matter of personal preference and freedom.

But… as expected, someone who goes out of their way to rape a loli would be a “no thank you” in any world.

That’s why it’s Yes Lolita, No Touch.

Well, let’s put that aside.

「For now, should we hand these guys over to the guild master tomorrow?」

「…Before that… let’s take a break.」

Reluctantly, Lilith pointed towards the tent.

「What should we do with them? We’re in the middle of a forest filled with wild beasts. Even if they’re attacked, they’re tied up so they can’t fight back or escape…」

「…If they get eaten, it’s just their bad luck. That’s all.」

「Isn’t that cruel?」

With a nearly crying expression, the three villains directed a pleading gaze towards me.

「…Even if we take them back to town, the best they’ll get is the guillotine or public hanging. If it’s bad, they’ll be used as targets for stoning in the square while still alive. They’d probably be happier if they were killed by monsters in one go.」

「Well, you’re right about that.」

The three villains visibly deflated at my words.
Well, I do feel a bit sorry for them, but it’s their fault, so there’s no helping it.

And that’s how dinner went.

While heating a frying pan over the campfire, Lilith approached me.

「Lute? What’s for dinner today?」

Hmm… honestly, I’m not sure.

Initially, Lilith’s item box had a capacity in the tons.

However, measures against deterioration— the cheat skill where time stops within the item box—lie within a narrow range.

Well, I mean… even so… it’s still a kind of cheat skill that stores non-degrading rare meat in tens of kilograms.

「Shall we use an Ancient Orc? Also, bring out the garlic.]

With a bewildered expression, Liz murmured,

「Eh, eh, Ancient Orc? That’s an S-rank legendary ingredient… a rare ingredient that’s so valuable it doesn’t even have a price at the Dark Auction…」

Ignoring Liz’s panic, Lilith retrieved the marbled meat of the Ancient Orc from the item box.

Honestly, it’s like the black pork from Kagoshima that costs 500 yen per gram.

It’s undeniably incredibly delicious, but I have my doubts about the ingredients being said to be legendary or mythical.

「Hey, Lilith?」

「…What?」

The frying pan is getting nicely heated.

I energetically toss three slices of orc meat into the pan and simultaneously add sliced garlic. The sound of oil sizzling fills the air. Instantly, a rich aroma of pork and garlic blends together, before spreading out.

「Bring that out.」

While sprinkling salt on the meat, I said to Lilith.

「…That? What’s that?」

「When you’re dealing with meat, it should use pepper, right?」

「…Understood.」

Silently, Lilith retrieves a container of pepper from the item box.

「Lute-onii-chan, is that… spice?」

「Yeah, that’s the idea.」

I generously sprinkle pepper onto the meat in the pan.
At that moment, Liz’s expression froze.

「Spice… When you talk about pepper… it’s said to be worth the same as an equal amount of gold.」

「Yeah, that’s right.」

Responding casually, I was met with an amazed smile from Liz.

「Hey, Lilith, bring that out too.」

「…What do you mean by ‘that’?」

「Chili powder.」

Lilith took out a container from the item box filled with ichimi togarashi (Japanese red pepper powder).

Then, I started sprinkling the chili powder onto the meat.

Liz’s expression quickly turned pale.

「Re-Red… Red Powder? It’s said to be worth the same as orichalcum, not just gold…」

「Spices are indeed expensive items that only nobles usually use… But aren’t you from a good family? It shouldn’t be that surprising, right?」

「…No, Lute. Using pepper and red powder in such… unusual quantities… would surprise even nobles.」

I shrugged my shoulders.

Well, that’s just how it is.
Even in medieval Europe, I know they’d sprinkle pepper in tiny amounts, even if they were nobles.

But I’m Japanese.
To me, using table pepper feels like buying a bottle for 98 yen.

Of course, the ichimi togarashi is the same.
I can’t be stingy with something that might be on sale for 78 yen.

ーIn the first place, I’m a ichimi togarashi person.

I wonder what mysterious ingredients, apart from chili peppers, were in it.
Since I’ve forgotten, I absolutely can’t reproduce it in this different world… I’m pretty sure there were poppy seeds in it, though.

Well, anyway, when I first started making money in the past, the first thing I did was to stock up on seasonings.

Before earning money at the guild, my diet was terrible. And I remember the taste from my days in Japan.

When you have money, you naturally want to eat delicious things, right?

「It’s about time.」

It’s getting nicely cooked.

The smell of garlic and spices being sautéed made my stomach rumble.

Now, for the finale, it’s time for an impressive alcohol fire… finishing it off by flambéing with red wine.